Copying a song's rhythm isn't plagiarism: Wajid

Feb 19, 2012, 07:18 IST
|
Subhash K Jha

Music directors, Sajid-Wajid may have made a promise to never copy from foreign tunes, but recently when their track Papa Toh Band Bajaye in Housefull 2 got leaked on the Internet, they came in for sharp criticism for committing the same act

Music directors, Sajid-Wajid may have made a promise to never copy from foreign tunes, but recently when their track Papa Toh Band Bajaye in Housefull 2 got leaked on the Internet, they came in for sharp criticism for committing the same act.

According to many, the track that has a number of actors, including Akshay Kumar, Asin, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandes, Ritesh Deshmukh and Shreyas Talpade, gyrating to the tune, has too many similarities with the Australian band Yolanda Be Cool's hit single We No Speak Americano.

When contacted, Wajid claimed their song was "hundred per cent original". According to him, "We haven't copied the Americano song at all.

We admit that the rhythm structure of our song is similar to the other one. But rhythms, as you might know, are not copyrighted. Anyone can use any rhythm from any part of the world without being accused of copying."

Adding to their defence, Wajid claimed, "Look at Kalyanji-Anandji's Apni Toh Jaise Taise in the film Laawaaris. It has a rhythm section that has a striking similarity with a Boney M song."